The Role of Rocks in Defining the Characters in Isabella Hammad’s The Parisian (2019)

Abstract

The current study looks at the metaphors for rocks in Isabella Hammad's novel The Parisian (2019). It seeks to demonstrate how Isabella Hammad employs rock analogies to describe and provide an understanding into her characters, Midhat, Jamil, and Fatima. Midhat, who studied abroad, has a hyphenated identity and is portrayed as a compromise—less resistant, delicate, and adaptable. The inverse of the properties of the rocks/stones. The other characters who have not fled Palestine, such as Fatima and Jamil, are portrayed as more strong, resilient, and unstoppable. Their characteristics are described as rocks or stones. Hammad compares Midhat's personality and qualities to those of other characters, such as Fatima and Jamil, using rock and stone metaphors. The work is examined through the prism of postcolonialism, specifically Edward Said's views on Orientalism. Hammad describes the characters using metaphors such as rocks and stones. According to the investigation, Jamil and Fatima's traits reflect those of stones and rocks. Midhat, on the other hand, has certain features that are diametrically opposed to those of stones and rocks. Hammad deliberately portrays Midhat in this manner to highlight the contrast between Palestinians who abandon their territory and indigenous who remain on their land, participate in revolts, and protect their homeland. To the researcher's knowledge, there have been few studies that evaluate and discuss Isabella Hammad's literary works, particularly her novel The Parisian (2019).